Stages Of Life
by badly-knitted
Summary: Okay, this is my first ever totally AU Torchwood story, so naturally I chose to write about something I know next to nothing about. Hopefully that won't show too much. Jack Harkness is six-years-old when his family move to Cardiff. New to the school, he tries out for the Nativity play and meets another little boy. There are 7 parts, written for 7 squares on my bingo card.
1. Beginnings

**Title: **Beginnings

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Jack, Ianto, Andy, OFC Miss Barton

**Rating:** G

**Word Count:** 681

**Summary:** Jack is the new boy at a Cardiff school, where he meets another little boy…

**Spoilers:** Nada.

**Warnings:** Completely AU, set in a universe where Torchwood doesn't exist.

**Written For:** My cottoncandy_bingo square First Meeting.

**Beta:** The wonderful zazajb, my advisor in all things school related. Thanks so much, your advice and assistance have been invaluable!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.

**A/N:** This is the first in a series of AU stories for different prompts on my bingo card, following Jack and Ianto through their school years and beyond. There are seven in total, of wildly varying lengths.

.

**I love Janto:** When needs must, they find other ways to communicate. They're nothing if not adaptable, lol!

Suffice to say, you really have to be careful when doing inventory to keep your mind on what you're doing, regardess of all the more interesting things you could be doing. Like your lover.

They will be more careful in the archives in future, I'm sure. Probably. Maybe. Oh hell, they'll never learn. LOL!

They're both good at saying 'I love you' in many ways.

Thank you!

.

**DottyWho (Guest):** Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

.

**Guest:** Thank you! I do love trying to mislead readers, it makes the pay-off more fun! *grins*

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

Miss Barton sighed and shook her head. The annual Nativity play was proving even more of a headache this year than it usually did, and all because of one small six-year-old American boy, who'd started at the school just a week ago after moving to Cardiff.

"No, Jack dear, you can't be Mary. That's a part for a little girl."

Jack looked up at her with wide, innocent blue eyes.

"But why?"

"Because Mary was a lady, not a man. Look, how would you like to be an Angel, like Andy and Ianto? You get to wear a halo and wings, wouldn't that be fun?" Miss Barton crossed her fingers behind her back. The last thing she wanted to deal with right now was a tantrum.

Jack considered the teacher's suggestion, looking thoughtfully at the other two boys. One of them, dark haired and with eyes as blue as Jack's, turned a rather nice shade of pink as Jack stared at him. Jack thought he was pretty. Making up his mind, he turned to Miss Barton and smiled.

"Okay."

Relieved to have averted disaster, Miss Barton ushered Jack over to sit with the other two boys and started sorting out who would play the shepherds.

"Hi, I'm Jack," Jack whispered to the blue-eyed boy beside him. "Are you in Miss Barton's class?" The boy nodded, eyes fixed on the ground in front of him, ears glowing pink. "I'm in Mr Hodges' class. What's your name?"

"Ianto."

"That's a funny name."

Ianto looked up, frowning.

"Is not! It's Welsh."

"Oh. Well, I'm from Chicago, that's in America. We had to move here 'cause my dad got a new job. I like it here."

Ianto looked at him with wide eyes.

"Is America far away?"

"Uh huh! It's almost on the other side of the world. We had to fly in a plane. I didn't like that much, it was scary; the ground was so far away we were up in the clouds!"

Ianto looked impressed.

"I've never been on a plane. Don't know if I'd want to if it's scary though. What's Chicago like?"

"Sort of like Cardiff, but the buildings are bigger, they go up for miles!"

"Wow!" said Ianto in an awed voice.

"I could tell you all about it. Maybe we could play together at lunch. You know, if you wanted to," Jack said, chewing on his bottom lip, suddenly feeling a bit shy. He really wanted Ianto to like him. "We could practice being angels."

Ianto turned pink again and it made Jack's tummy feel funny, like he'd swallowed a butterfly and it was fluttering around inside him. It made him want to giggle.

"Yeah, okay," Ianto whispered back, glancing sideways at him and smiling shyly.

Jack beamed at him, happy to have made a friend. He reached for Ianto's hand and held it and the butterfly inside him fluttered even more when Ianto's fingers curled around his own.

After that, they played together every break time and sat together at lunch, sharing each other's sandwiches. Jack told Ianto all about what it was like to live in America, and in return, Ianto told him more about Wales. They practised hard at being angels and sometimes even let Andy practice with them, determined the three of them would be the best angels ever.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

To Miss Barton's relief, the Nativity play went beautifully. Well, mostly. The head fell off baby Jesus, one of the Wise Men fell off the stage when his crown slipped over his eyes and a fight broke out among the shepherds because they only had four sheep between the five of them and they all wanted to hold one. Miss Barton fixed that by giving one of the shepherds a teddy bear to hold. It looked a bit odd, but none of the parents seemed to mind. The three angels were perfect though, getting all their lines right and standing where they were supposed to. If two of the angels held hands the entire time, what did it matter? No one said anything about it.

.

TBC in 'Part 2 - Getting Creative'


	2. Getting Creative

**Title: **Getting Creative – Sequel to 'Beginnings'

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Jack, Ianto, Andy, assorted OCs

**Rating:** G

**Word Count:** 2682

**Summary:** Jack, Ianto and Andy finally get to be in another school play together, much to their delight.

**Spoilers:** Nada.

**Warnings:** Completely AU, set in a universe where Torchwood doesn't exist.

**Written For:** My cottoncandy_bingo square Building/Creating Something.

**Beta:** The wonderful zazajb, my advisor in all things school related. Thanks so much, your advice and assistance have been invaluable!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.

**A/N:** This is the second in a series of AU stories for different prompts on my bingo card, following Jack and Ianto through their school years and beyond. There are seven in total, of wildly varying lengths.

.

**Guest:** Thank you! I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story!

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

When Ianto and Jack moved up to year 3, they were put in the same class; better yet, they got to sit together. They couldn't have been happier and as the end of the school year approached, they made plans to audition for the end of year play. But on the day the auditions were held, Ianto was off school with chicken pox. That evening, Ianto's mam let him phone Jack.

"What part did you get?" asked Ianto, both excited for his friend and disappointed for himself.

"I didn't go to the try-outs."

That was a surprise. They'd both been so excited about being in another play that they'd been talking about it non-stop since it had been announced three weeks earlier.

"Why not?"

"It didn't feel right without you. Besides, I didn't want to be in Mother Goose anyway. It's a silly pantomime, not a proper play; it's for kids!"

"We _are_ kids, silly!"

"I know, but that play's for the little kids. Next year we'll be in Year 4 and it'll be a better play. We can get parts in that. Okay?"

"Okay. I would've helped you practice though. You know; if you'd got a part."

"I know you would. You're my best friend! I didn't like being at school without you; it was weird. How d'you feel?"

"I itch a lot. It's horrible. I want to scratch, but mam says I mustn't. She puts all this cold, pink stuff on my spots. It helps for a bit, but then I'm all itchy again. And I'm bored. There's nothing much to do on my own except read or watch telly, but there's nothing good on."

"You'll be better soon then we can play together again. I miss you!"

"I miss you too. I wish we could play together now."

The next morning Jack woke up covered in spots and itching. His mom dropped him off at Ianto's house because Ianto's mother said she didn't mind looking after both of them while Jack's mom was at work. They played together all day, and every day after that until they both stopped itching and could go back to school.

Jack didn't mind a bit. After all, he and Ianto shared everything, even spots. That's just what best friends did.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

When the boys were eight, The Wizard of Oz was announced as the end of year play for Year 4. The two friends were the first to put their names down.

They read the book together while waiting for audition day, and watched the movie several times to prepare. When the day finally arrived they got to the school hall early, excited to finally have the chance to be in another play together. Jack knew which part he wanted to play, but the teacher in charge, Mrs Hutchins, had other ideas.

"No, Jack, you can't play Dorothy. It's a girl's role."

Jack frowned.

"Why?"

"Because Dorothy is a girl's name. Anyway, Kathy is going to be Dorothy."

Jack sighed resignedly.

"Well, what part _can_ I play?"

"I thought you, Ianto and Andy could be the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion. Why don't you decide among yourselves which part you want to play while I'm choosing the Munchkins?"

Jack shrugged.

"Okay."

As Mrs Hutchins bustled away, the three boys looked at each other.

"Well, I'd rather not be the scarecrow," said Ianto, "All the straw would be itchy." He felt he'd endured enough itchiness with the chicken pox to last him a lifetime.

Andy's grandparents lived on a farm so he was used to straw.

"I don't mind being the Scarecrow, I can wear some of my granddad's old clothes."

Jack thought hard.

"Okay. That leaves the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Man. I don't mind being either. Ianto, you choose."

Ianto tilted his head to one side, deep in thought. Finally, he turned to Jack.

"I'll be the Tin Man. We've got some silver spray paint at home, left over from Christmas and there's always lots of cardboard from the shop, it shouldn't be too hard to make the costume. I have some ideas." Ianto was pretty good at making things.

"Great! That makes me the Cowardly Lion," Jack grinned. "It'll be cool to have a tail. Mom's no good at sewing though, so we might have to buy a lion outfit."

"Maybe we could make it ourselves. My mam might help, she can sew, and so can I a bit. She's been teaching my sister. I watch. I'm sure we can work something out."

As always, Jack was impressed. Ianto was the best when it came to organising stuff. Jack was positive his friend could do just about anything.

"Now," said Mrs Hutchins, "don't forget to ask your parents to sign your forms. If you need help with costumes, ask Mr Williams or Miss Cooper. Rehearsals will be after school every Tuesday and Thursday, starting next week."

Mr Williams taught art while Miss Cooper taught the girls sewing.

"At least we can ask for help if we need it," said Andy.

Ianto nodded.

"We should try by ourselves first though," he decided. "They'll probably be busy helping the other kids whose parents are too busy to help them."

Jack nodded.

"Let's meet up at morning break and we can start planning."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Break time finally arrived and Andy ran over to Jack and Ianto as soon as he spotted them across the playground. Ianto was already writing in a scruffy old notebook that went everywhere with him.

"Hi, Andy. I've been thinkin'. If you get some old clothes from your granddad, d'you think he'll let you have some straw too?"

"Don't see why not, there's always loads on the farm. We're going to visit on Saturday so I'll ask him then."

"Great! A hat would be good too. The Scarecrow in the movie had a hat so you should too. If your granddad doesn't have one, I think my sister's got an old straw sunhat that'll do. My costume should be easy too, but I'm not sure about Jack's." He looked up at Jack. "You'd better talk to your mam and I'll ask mine. I think I know how to do your feet; we'll just need an old pair of trainers, some brown fur and glue. We could maybe stick fur on some gloves for your hands. Dunno about the rest yet. Maybe an old pair of jammies, or track pants and jumper. Got to get the colour right though, lions are sort of light brown."

"What are jammies?" asked Jack, confused. Ianto was his very best friend ever, but sometimes he used really weird words.

"Pyjamas, dummy!" Ianto shoved Jack playfully and soon they were wresting each other and laughing, all thoughts of planning forgotten.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The week before rehearsals started was very busy. Jack and Ianto spent every evening after school collecting bits and pieces together and working on their costumes. Jack's mother dyed an old pair of tracksuit pants golden brown to almost match an old sweater she'd found in a charity shop, so the lion's body was ready. Ianto helped Jack make the tail from a long piece of cloth folded in half, sewn down the side and stuffed with old tights. It was a bit lumpy but it looked okay once they'd stuck a tuft of fur on one end and sewn the other end to the back of the pants.

Ianto's mother helped with the lion's head, sewing fur to the hood of Ianto's old, outgrown parka. Two felt ears stuck out of the fur and when Jack tried in on he really felt like a lion. He grinned at Ianto, roared and chased him around the room, with Ianto giggling and pretending to be afraid. It was brilliant!

Old furry gloves and the pair of trainers they'd covered in fur completed the outfit.

Making Ianto's Tin Man costume was taking longer. There was a lot of measuring and cutting to be done before all the pieces of cardboard could be spray-painted and left to dry. A big plastic cooking funnel that had been lying around the kitchen forever was painted silver as well. That would be Ianto's hat. The two boys spent most of Saturday afternoon in the garden painting everything they would need, under the supervision of Ianto's father. That was a lot of fun, though they had to be careful not to get the paint on the wrong things. Jack's parents would have gone nuts if he'd come home with silver paint all over him!

Andy came by early on Saturday evening to show his friends what he'd got from his grandparents for his scarecrow costume. There was a big, floppy-brimmed hat that used to be his grandma's, a baggy old shirt and an old suit with braces to hold the trousers up. His mother was going to shorten the sleeves and trouser legs so they fitted him a bit better. He had a bag of straw too, just in case it was needed. Ianto thought there should at least be straw coming out of the bottom of Andy's sleeves, so Andy promised to talk to his mother about it. He didn't want to let his friends down by not looking scarecrow-y enough. Not when they were working so hard on their own costumes.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The kids who were in the play got their scripts first thing on Monday morning, so at break time Andy joined Jack and Ianto, they found a quiet corner and started learning their lines. They had as lot more to say than when they'd been angels; remembering it all would be hard, except for Ianto who always seemed to remember everything. They had a few weeks before the play though, so Jack thought maybe it would be okay. Anyway, if he or Andy forgot their lines on the night, he knew Ianto would remind them.

Tuesday came and after school they headed for the hall for the first rehearsal. It was a horrible muddle. No one knew where to stand or what to do, everyone kept losing their places in their scripts and some of the Munchkins got into a fight. Then the Wicked Witch of the West fell over and started crying.

Ianto looked at Jack and rolled his eyes.

"I don't think Wicked Witches are supposed to cry."

Jack laughed at his best friend's exasperated expression.

"She's still a girl and girls always cry. It's just what they do."

"I suppose." Ianto held out his hand. "Come on, let's go practice our lines while Mrs Hutchins sorts everyone out."

Jack nodded, took Ianto's hand and they wandered over to the side of the stage.

"Maybe one day we'll be proper actors," Jack said. "That would be so cool!"

Ianto nodded eagerly.

"I'd like that. Then we could always be in plays together."

"That's what we'll do then," Jack decided, grinning all over his face.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The weeks before the play flew past. Rehearsals gradually improved as everyone got used to what they were supposed to be doing.

On the days they didn't rehearse at school, Jack and Ianto practised their lines together while working on Ianto's costume, turning the pieces of painted cardboard into different sized tubes by punching holes in two edges and lacing them together. Ianto knew he would need to be laced into the main body part, but the legs and arms, each in two pieces, would slip on, then have to be loosely tied to the body with bits of elastic so he could walk and move his arms. There were shoulder straps on the body section so it wouldn't fall down and a chinstrap on the funnel hat to keep it on. To complete the outfit, Ianto had silver painted sneakers and thin light grey gloves that nearly matched the pyjamas he'd be wearing underneath everything.

"You're going to look brilliant," Jack told his friend.

"You really think so?"

"I know so! This is going to be the best play we've ever been in!" He kissed Ianto on the cheek and Ianto turned pink, just as he always did. Jack beamed. Ianto only ever turned pink for him. Somehow that made Jack feel very special.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

At last, the long awaited evening arrived. The children taking part were excited and nervous; all their parents, brothers and sisters would be in the audience, along with a lot of other kids and their parents.

Everyone gathered backstage, getting ready for their big night. Ianto and Jack helped each other get into costume, with Jack patiently lacing Ianto together. They'd practised getting dressed as well as learning their lines so that they would know exactly what to do and wouldn't forget anything. While the rest of the cast were struggling with their own costumes and panicking over things they couldn't find, the Tim Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow kept out of the way and got themselves ready.

"We look so cool!" Jack grinned gappily at his friends. He'd lost a front tooth the previous day. Being a lion with a missing tooth bothered him a bit, but there was nothing to be done about it and Ianto assured him no one would notice. "We should get someone to take our photo!"

"I'll ask Mr Williams," said Andy, shuffling off in his big shoes and baggy trousers to find the teacher.

Mr Williams was happy to help.

"Well, don't you three look grand! You've done great work with your costumes. Did you make them all by yourselves?"

"Our moms and Ianto's dad helped out some," Jack told him, "but we did as much as we could."

"Well done then, that's champion! Right, stand together and I'll take your picture." He snapped off several shots on Jack's little camera and handed it back. Jack tucked it back in his pocket. He'd decided he wanted to keep a record of every play he and Ianto were in. One day when they were grown up and proper actors, they could look at the pictures and remember all the fun they had in their first parts.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The audience and the actors all seemed to enjoy the play and most of it went okay. The Munchkins started yet another fight, which Mrs Hutchins had to break up, and the Wicked Witch of the West got the giggles when she was supposed to be dead; everybody could see her moving, which Jack thought wasn't very realistic. Then the Good Witch went off stage the wrong way and had to dash back across, which was funny.

Mrs Hutchins breathed a sigh of relief when the main characters managed to get through the whole play without forgetting their lines, even though the Cowardly Lion and Tin Man held hands most of the time and the scarecrow's hat kept getting knocked off. The audience seemed to think that was supposed to happen, and laughed and applauded every time.

The stickiest moment came during the big reveal of Oz himself, which didn't quite go as planned because instead of dropping to the ground, the curtain fell on top of him. He had to be untangled by the rest of the cast, and she was sure she saw the Tin Man rolling his eyes. The audience thought it was wonderful!

Heading home afterwards with their families, Jack and Ianto were tired but happy. They'd had a terrific time on stage and their parents had been so proud of them both. Jack's dad had called them "Our budding thespians," which they both agreed sounded very impressive, even though neither of them knew what it meant. The only sad thing was that the fun was over now. They wouldn't get to be in a play again for almost a whole year.

"It's an awfully long time to wait," said Ianto quietly, cuddled up with Jack in the back seat of Ianto's tad's car.

"We waited two years for this play though," Jack reminded him.

"That's true." Ianto hugged his friend. "I guess we'll just have to be patient. Next year's play is sure to be even better!"

Jack hoped Ianto was right.

.

TBC in 'Part 3 - The Young Performers'


	3. The Young Performers

**Title: **The Young Performers – Sequel to 'Getting Creative'

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Jack, Ianto, Andy, assorted OCs

**Rating:** G

**Word Count:** 2753

**Summary:** The boys are growing up fast, but the annual school plays are still the highlight of their year.

**Spoilers:** Nada.

**Warnings:** Completely AU, set in a universe where Torchwood doesn't exist.

**Written For:** My cottoncandy_bingo square Wild Card - Performing.

**Beta:** The wonderful zazajb, my advisor in all things school related. Thanks so much, your advice and assistance have been invaluable!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.

**A/N:** This is the third in a series of AU stories for different prompts on my bingo card, following Jack and Ianto through their school years and beyond. There are seven in total, of wildly varying lengths.

.

**I love Janto:** Ch. 1 - Jack thinks Ianto is a good incentive for changing his mind.

No need to guess who was holding hands really - it was inevitable!

Ch. 2 - Well, Jack would rather be spotty and itchy playing with Ianto than in the play by himself, lol!

The boys have decided they like acting and want to do it as well as they can, and what kids don't enjoy making things? I'm sure their costumes were wonky and less than perfect, but they did a lot of the work themselves and they're justifiably proud of what they did.

I hope everyone will like the rest of this. I was a bit sad that I had to make the boys grow up so fast, but they needed to for the prompts I wanted to use and the story I wanted to tell. The first 5 parts are the main story, then the last two are sequels set further in the future.

Thank you! *hugs* I can't get my head around having fans!

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

Things got even better for the aspiring actors when Peter Pan was chosen as the play for Year 5. Jack was practically bouncing with excitement when they were told; he and Ianto had watched the DVD several times the previous summer and had loved all the action, adventure and magic.

"You should try out as Peter, you'd be brilliant!" Jack told Ianto.

"You think so?" Ianto wasn't sure. "It's sort of the main part, I've never done that before."

"I know you can do it, Ianto. You can do _anything_," Jack told him earnestly. "You always remember your lines and stuff better than anyone, and you even look a bit like the Peter in the movie, except you have dark hair!"

"But what about you? You'd be great as Peter too, you're so brave!" Jack had broken his arm falling out of a tree and hadn't even cried; Ianto had been really impressed.

"I'd rather be Tinkerbell. I think I'd make a good fairy," Jack told his friend. "Besides, Peter and Tink are best friends, just like us!"

Ianto grinned happily, ears glowing pink.

"That would be so much fun, wouldn't it?"

"It really would," Jack sighed. "We're going to be best friends forever, aren't we, Ianto?"

"Yep! Of course we are. We'll always share everything! Forever and always, that's a promise."

"I promise too." Jack hugged Ianto and kissed his little button nose. "Forever and always."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Miss Lewis had been put in charge of producing Year 5's play, so she'd studied the script carefully. When auditions began, she was delighted by the children's enthusiasm and didn't hesitate in giving the role of Peter to Ianto Jones. He was perfect for the part. There was just one problem she had to deal with.

"No, Jack, I'm sorry but you can't be Tinkerbell."

Jack frowned and crossed his arms.

"Why not, Miss?"

"Because fairies are always girls and you're a boy."

"But why aren't there boy fairies?"

"I don't know, there just aren't. Besides, I really hoped you would play Captain Hook. You'd make a wonderful pirate captain; you and Ianto can have swordfights and chase each other, doesn't that sound like fun?"

"But Ianto's my best friend!"

"I know, but you'd only be playing make-believe. Besides, if you're Captain Hook I know you'll be careful not to hurt Ianto."

Well, that was certainly true. Jack thought about it; what if some bigger, stronger boy played Hook and Ianto got hurt? Then Jack would feel just awful.

"Okay, I'll be the captain," he agreed. Which was how Jack gained the nickname 'Captain Jack'.

Andy was cast as Smee, so once again the three boys practised their lines together. He also helped Jack and Ianto plan out their sword fights, watching them and telling them what looked cool and what didn't. The sword fighting was tremendous fun, even though they were only using plastic toy swords.

"When we're grown up, we can learn how to do this properly, like in the Three Musketeers!" exclaimed Jack.

Ianto nodded solemnly.

"Proper actors need to be able to do all kinds of things. We'll get better parts in plays if we can do stuff. Maybe even on TV or in the movies."

Jack stopped dead and stared at Ianto wide-eyed.

"You really think we could be in movies?"

"Dunno. But Rhi said that movie actor she likes is going to be in a play next month. She wants Dad to take her to London to see it for her birthday treat."

"Wow!" Jack sat down on the grass and Ianto flopped down beside him. "I'd only thought about doing plays, but wouldn't it be brilliant to be in movies?" He lay back and stared at the sky.

"Yeah," Ianto breathed. He turned his head to look at Jack. "I wouldn't want to be in a movie if you weren't in it too though."

Jack reached to squeeze his friend's hand.

"Me neither, it wouldn't feel right."

Side by side, holding hands, they watched the clouds and daydreamed about being movie stars until Jack's mom called them in for tea.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

When the evening of the play finally arrived, Miss Lewis was almost more nervous than the children, praying that there wouldn't be any disasters.

On the whole, things didn't go too badly. A few minor problems cropped up, but she managed to find ways around them, for the most part.

There were a handful of fluffed lines and Tinkerbell lost a wing when she got it caught on one of the cardboard trees; she had to be freed by the Lost Boys before she could pull it over. The tree rocked quite alarmingly for a minute, but luckily it stayed up.

Then there were the missing swords. The lesser pirates had cardboard swords, leaving the plastic ones for the lead characters, but just before the curtain went up, it was discovered that the plastic swords had mysteriously vanished. Hook and Peter ended up having to use toy lightsabers. Thankfully, no one seemed to mind and if anyone noticed that the two deadly enemies spent almost the entire play grinning at each other and sometimes held hands, no one commented on it.

The worst moment came when the front half of the crocodile tripped and fell over, which caused the back half to fall on top of him. For the rest of the play, half the crocodile had to scuttle sideways because it was bent in the middle. Thankfully, it didn't need to be on stage much and managed to stay in the background.

As the cast took their bows, with Hook and Peter centre stage and holding hands again, Miss Lewis applauded along with the audience. Everyone had enjoyed the play despite the mistakes.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Backstage after the final curtain, she gathered her young cast around her.

"I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of all of you. You all played your parts beautifully. Well done!"

Jack hugged Ianto.

"We really were good, weren't we, Ianto?"

"Uh huh!" Ianto yawned. "What a day. C'mon, let's find our mams and go home."

"Wait a minute! I didn't get a photo of us!"

Jack grabbed Ianto's hand and dragged him over to Miss Lewis, tugging lightly at her sleeve.

"Excuse me, Miss."

"Yes, Jack, what is it?"

He held out his little camera.

"Could you take a photo of us, please?"

"Of course. Come over here out of everyone's way."

"Ianto and me are going to be famous actors one day," Jack informed her, putting his arm around his friend.

Miss Lewis took several photos and handed the camera back.

"Becoming an actor would take a lot of hard work."

"We know," Ianto said with a smile, "but we don't mind. It would be an awfully big adventure!"

Jack nodded agreement, grinning.

"It'll be worth it. You'll see. I just know we can do it!"

As they ran off to find their parents, Miss Lewis smiled. Those two had plenty of enthusiasm and had worked harder than anyone in rehearsals.

"You know," she murmured to one of her colleagues, "it wouldn't surprise me if their dream of becoming actors really did come true."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

By the time of the auditions for the Year 6 play, Jack and Ianto were both 11 years old. This would be their last play at primary school; after the summer holidays, they'd be moving up to secondary school, which had them feeling both excited and terrified. It would mean travelling by bus there and back every day instead of just walking down the road.

"I hope they still have school plays at secondary school," Jack said to Ianto as they headed for the school hall to audition for Oliver Twist.

"Rhi says they do," Ianto assured his friend. "One of her friends goes there." Ianto's sister Rhiannon went to a local all girls secondary school rather than the mixed school Jack and Ianto would be attending.

"That's okay then." Jack grinned at Ianto, grabbing his hand and urging him to walk faster. "The plays are the best part of the school year!"

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Mrs Evans looked up and smiled as she saw Jack and Ianto enter the hall. She'd been hoping they would want to audition.

"Hello, boys, I was wondering when you two would get here. So, which roles are you interested in?"

"I don't really mind," said Ianto, "but Jack thinks I should try out for the part of Oliver."

"Splendid! I was hoping you would, you were so good as Peter Pan last year."

It didn't take Miss Evans long to decide that Ianto would indeed make an excellent Oliver.

"Now, Jack, what about you?"

"Can I audition as Nancy?"

Oh dear! Miss Evans had heard of this problem, though she'd hoped young Jack Harkness would have grown out of that phase by now.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but the role of Nancy, and her understudy have already been cast." It was a white lie really, but she did have someone in mind for Nancy. "Look, why don't you play the Artful Dodger? He's like Oliver's best friend." She prayed that her suggestion would work; everyone in the school knew Jack Harkness and Ianto Jones were inseparable. Still, it wouldn't hurt to add a little extra incentive. "You'd get to wear a top hat too, and teach Oliver to pick pockets. Of course, that's only for the play," she added hastily, in case either boy got the wrong idea. "You should never do that in real life."

Jack forced himself not to laugh at the worried expression on the teacher's face. As if he and Ianto didn't already know that stealing was wrong! They weren't little kids; they'd both learned that lesson years ago. The Artful Dodger was a good role though, and it would mean he got to act with Ianto for quite a bit of the play, which was always a good thing.

"A top hat, huh?" Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. Sounds cool."

"Good, then that's settled. Here are your scripts."

Ianto grinned, immediately flipping through his to find the first scene Oliver was in.

"Thanks, Miss Evans! C'mon, Jack, we'd best start learning our lines."

Hand in hand, the two boys headed towards the door.

"Ianto, Jack!" Miss Evans called after them.

"Yes, Miss?"

"Rehearsals are Monday and Wednesday at 3pm, here in the hall, starting this Wednesday."

"Okay, we'll be here!" Jack called back over his shoulder as the door closed behind him. He turned to look at Ianto. "How come I never seem to get the role I really want?"

"Beats me," Ianto replied, wrapping one arm around Jack in a hug. "One day you will though, I'm sure of it. I'm kinda glad you're Dodger though. Nancy is a good role, but we'll get to do more together this way."

"That's true," Jack agreed, cheering up again. "Y'know, dad's always said boys and girls should be allowed to do the same things if they want to. Full equality. Girls get to play boys' roles in some plays so I don't see why it can't work the other way around. I mean I look good in a dress, don't I?"

Ianto nodded.

"Way better than Rhiannon does. You already have better legs than her."

"I think so too, I just didn't want to say so. It might hurt her feelings if she knew."

That made Ianto laugh.

"Come off it, Jack! You know Rhi better than that. She'd be throwing stuff at you and swearing."

"God, yeah, sometimes I forget what a temper she's got these days."

"Mam says she despairs of ever making a lady out of Rhi. Wishes she could be more polite, like me."

"Polite? You? She must be mistaking you for someone else!"

Ianto winked at Jack.

"Well I'm polite at home. It makes mam happy and anyway, it's like tad says; good manners cost nothing and being polite impresses people. When we're famous actors, I don't want to be like that actor Rhi fancies. He's a jerk; he's only famous 'cause he happens to be good looking. When we're famous we'll be nice to people, especially the fans and the people we work with."

"You're right. You almost always are. What's the point of being famous if you're rude to everyone? Then everybody ends up hating you and no one wants you in their play. What's that word dad uses? Counterproductive, that's it."

By now, both boys knew what they needed to do to prepare for their roles. Learning their lines was second nature and as always, they worked at it together, coaching and testing each other. Once again, Andy was in the play with them, this time playing Fagin, much to his delight, so he often joined his friends to rehearse in between the official school rehearsals.

Lying on the grass under a tree during lunch hour a few days before opening night, the three went over their lines then moved on to other topics.

"Secondary school next year," said Andy gloomily. "I think I might even miss this place."

"We're growing up," Jack replied, chewing on a blade of grass. "Can't stay kids forever."

"I suppose. It's a bit scary though. We'll be among all the older, bigger kids." Ianto looked a bit worried.

"Don't worry, Ianto, we'll be together so we'll be fine." Jack gave his friend's hand a squeeze. "We can deal with anything, long as we're together."

"Forever and always." Ianto leaned over to peck Jack on the cheek.

"What about me?" asked Andy.

"Oh, sorry." Ianto leaned over and kissed his other friend on the cheek. "Didn't mean to make you feel left out."

"Ugh! Get off, idiot! I didn't mean that! You two are so gross sometimes! I just mean I'll be at the same school too. We're sort of like the Three Musketeers, right?"

"Sure," Jack said, "we'll still be able to hang out together."

"That's good. I heard there's a drama club at the secondary school too. Maybe we could all join that."

"Drama club, huh? Secondary school is looking up!"

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Because they were in their final year, they got to perform their play twice. The first performance was for their families and the other school kids, but the second would be open to anyone who wanted to see it. Jack found that idea especially exciting.

"It'll be the first time we perform for the public, just like if we were professional actors on the London stage!"

"I'm just glad we get to do the play twice. After all the work we've put in, it's nice to get more out of it, if you know what I mean. Professional actors get to do the same play for weeks!"

"That would be awesome, wouldn't it?"

"Seriously awesome! Shame we can't."

"One day we will," Jack assured him. "Just you wait and see."

.

The first performance went down well with the audience. There were the usual mishaps of course; part of the scenery fell on Bill Sykes, the toy dog that was supposed to be Bullseye got stepped on and squashed, and Nancy's skirt ripped when someone trod on the hem. Still, Jack and Ianto had a whale of a time in their roles and Andy, stooped and cantankerous, made a very convincing Fagin.

The second, public performance went much better. The scenery stayed up, a replacement was found for Bullseye, everyone paid attention to where they were putting their feet and if Bill Sykes hadn't fallen down the steps then the whole performance might have been judged flawless. Oliver and Dodger holding hands went un-remarked, the audience seeming to accept it as natural for the characters.

After each show, Jack and Ianto kept to what was by now their own tradition; they found one of the teachers and got their photo taken together backstage.

"More for our album," Jack grinned, tucking his camera away safely as he and Ianto set off to find their parents, who'd bought tickets to both shows in support of their sons. "I wonder what our next play will be."

Ianto paused and looked back.

"Whatever it is, it won't be on this stage."

"Yeah." Jack slipped his arm around his friend. "End of an era. It's been good though."

"It has. I wouldn't change any of it, would you?"

"Nope, never. Well, okay, maybe I'd change getting an F in maths that time…"

Arm in arm, laughing, they walked away, already thinking about what lay ahead at their new school.

.

TBC in 'Part 4 - The Play's The Thing'


	4. The Play's The Thing

**Title: **The Play's The Thing – Sequel to 'The Young Performers'

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Jack, Ianto, Andy, assorted OCs

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count:** 8030

**Summary:** The three boys work and play their way through Secondary School, learning a lot about all kinds of things along the way.

**Spoilers:** Nada.

**Warnings:** Completely AU, set in a universe where Torchwood doesn't exist.

**Written For:** My cottoncandy_bingo square Play.

**Beta:** The wonderful zazajb, my advisor in all things school related. Thanks so much, your advice and assistance have been invaluable!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.

**A/N:** This is the fourth in a series of AU stories for different prompts on my bingo card, following Jack and Ianto through their school years and beyond. There are seven in total, of wildly varying lengths, this one being the longest.

**A/N2:** Yes, I know the quote I've used as the title of this one is from a different play by Shakespeare, but it still seemed apt for this part of the story.

.

**I love Janto:** Jack has his dreams, but fate is against him. Poor Jack. Still, as long as he gets to act with Ianto he's

happy.

You'll have to wait and see if they succeed in their hopes of acting careers.

It's a fluffy story, so nothing too bad is going to happen even if it isn't all smooth sailing!

Thank you! I'm so happy you're enjoying this =D

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

Growing up was bringing a lot of changes into Jack, Ianto and Andy's lives.

Secondary school turned out to be a lot bigger than they were accustomed to; instead of just three classes in each year there were six, with over thirty pupils in each class instead of the twenty or so there used to be in their primary school classes.

Andy found himself in a class full of kids he didn't know, but thankfully his easygoing nature and sense of humour soon won him friends.

Jack and Ianto were grateful that at least they'd been assigned to the same class, even though they couldn't sit together anymore. The teachers insisted on the class being seated in alphabetical order, which meant there were four other kids between them. It was the first of a number of disappointments they had to face in their first year at their new school.

Shortly after term started, the two friends discovered that while there was indeed a drama club at the school, it was only for years 10 and 11.

"Well that sucks!" Jack said as he sat down hard on the low wall beside Ianto at morning break. He winced at the painful impact. "Ow!"

"Serves you right," Ianto laughed, but he quickly sobered at the expression of unrelenting gloom on Jack's face.

Under other circumstances, he would have given Jack a comforting hug, but they'd quickly learned that holding hands and hugging got them picked on teased and pushed around. While the bullying hadn't lasted beyond Jack punching the ringleader in the nose at the bus stop after school, they'd made a pact to keep such behaviour to the safety of their own homes in future. The older kids could be mean.

"Just because we can't join the official drama club doesn't mean we can't have our own unofficial one. We could get together at breaks and act out scenes from plays. It would be good practice. I bet Andy would join us, and maybe some of the other kids from our old school."

Jack sat up straighter and gazed at Ianto in admiration.

"That's a great idea! We should talk to Andy at lunch."

Andy was enthusiastic about the idea and talked several of his new friends into joining the little club. Kathy, Eugene, Tommy and Beth from their old school also joined, giving them a 'cast' of eleven; seven boys and four girls. They met informally twice a week at lunch, taking turns bringing a scene from a play or movie script for the little group to act out. It was fun trying different things and since there were only four girls in the group, sometimes Jack would get to read one of the female roles, much to his delight.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Lessons were harder and they all had more homework, and consequently less time to have fun. Sport was also a compulsory subject, so Jack and Ianto played rugby and basketball in winter and did various track and field events through spring and into summer. Both boys were growing steadily, with Jack always just a little taller than his friend. Ianto appeared skinny but it was deceptive and he could run faster than Jack, though not by much.

They both enjoyed all the physical activity, despite the inevitable scrapes and bruises, but theatre and all it involved remained their first love, so naturally as the summer term approached and the end of year plays were announced, the pair counted down the days, impatiently waiting for the auditions to begin.

When the day finally arrived, they fidgeted through their classes, itching to get to the school hall and dreaming of the fun they would have. Despite getting there as fast as they could after the end of their final class of the day, they found there was already quite a queue. With the greater number of students at secondary school, they really should have expected that, but it took them by surprise to see the throngs of hopeful would-be actors waiting to audition.

"Well, it'll probably be like this when we first start auditioning for real plays," Ianto told Jack. "I guess we should get used to it. We'll just have to do our best to impress whichever teacher is in charge. D'you know who it is?"

"I heard someone say it's Mr Murphy, the geography teacher." Neither Jack nor Ianto had met Mr Murphy; they'd opted to take history instead of geography, on the grounds that a good understanding of British history would be useful if they auditioned for any historical plays in the future.

"Huh. Wonder what he's like."

"Beats me. Well, here goes nothing."

They clasped hands and spoke at the same time.

"Break a leg!"

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

It was the final disappointment of a disappointing year. They were hardly given a chance to audition; Mr Murphy barely glanced at them before calling for the next person. Trudging out of the hall afterwards, Jack was fuming at the injustice.

"I can't believe we didn't get cast in the play!" he exclaimed. "It was blatant favouritism!" Apparently, Mr Murphy had been a teacher at one of the other local primary schools before he'd accepted a post with the geography department at the start of the school year and almost all the students he cast in the play had been pupils he knew from his old school.

"Well, you could have been in it," Ianto replied.

"Oh, sure. Walk on, hand something to someone, walk off again," he huffed. "Anyone could do that."

"I bet you'd have done it better though."

"Hmph."

"We'll get parts next year." Ianto refused to give up hope. "For a start, it won't be Mr Murphy in charge of the Year 8 production so he won't get to play favourites."

"But that's a whole year away! What are we going to do until then?"

"Keep our drama club going over summer and just learn as much as we can. Come on."

He grabbed Jack by the arm and started to pull him down the corridor.

"Where are we going now?"

"We're signing up to help with scenery and costumes. If we can't _act_ in the play this time, we'll learn what we can about all the other stuff that goes into putting on a production. It'll help when we're professional actors if we can lend a hand behind the scenes. The more experience we have, the easier it'll be to get jobs. It won't be as good as actually being in the play, but we can still be part of it and help make it as good as it can be."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Working behind the scenes turned out to be quite an education. They tried their hands at everything from constructing sets to creating costumes and even helping the cast to learn their lines. During the play itself, Robin Hood this year, they moved scenery, helped with wardrobe and made sure the young actors didn't miss their cues. Ianto stood in the wings when he wasn't needed elsewhere, to prompt anyone who forgot their lines, his photographic memory once again making him invaluable.

The two performances of the play went reasonably smoothly. None of the scenery collapsed, nobody missed their cues, only three of the cast forgot lines briefly and as far as anyone could tell, no one in the audience noticed.

Robin managed to break the string on his bow and Maid Marion got stage fright and froze, but that happened during a scene where she really didn't have to do anything, so it didn't cause any problems.

After the final show ended, Jack marched up to Mr Murphy, towing Ianto behind him, and asked if he'd photograph them in front of the castle set they'd helped build. Even though they hadn't acted in the play this time, they were proud of what they'd accomplished and Jack thought they should have a record of their first time working as stage hands.

"You were right, Ianto. If we're going to be professional actors one day, we should learn about everything to do with putting on a play, not just the acting part. We might want to produce a play ourselves one day, so we should know how it's done. We did a good job on this one; that's something worth remembering."

Ianto nodded agreement.

"I guess we can't expect to get cast in every play we audition for. There could be dozens of other actors all hoping to be cast in the roles we want and we might not always be the best choice for the part. But set-builders and wardrobe people are needed too. Working behind the scenes might give us a chance in the future to learn from more experienced actors, even if it's just by watching them. And I've read that some small touring companies do everything themselves anyway to cut down on costs. We can volunteer to help backstage again next year if we don't get to act; at least this way we still get to be involved."

"I missed being on stage though," Jack said with a wistful smile.

"I know. Me too."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

That year, the summer seemed to go on forever, but at the same time, passed by much too fast. Soon they were shopping for new school uniforms because they'd outgrown everything they were wearing at the end of the previous school year.

"It's ridiculous," grumbled Ianto. "Mam says I'm growing like a weed, my favourite jeans are too short already. It's not worth buying anything really nice when I barely get to wear it before I've outgrown it." He and Jack were being dragged around the shops by their mothers, unhappy because there were far better things to be doing with their last few days of freedom.

"On the bright side, we haven't shot up as fast as Andy."

They'd run into their friend earlier that day, the first time they'd seen him since the holidays had started. He'd been spending the summer helping out on his grandparents' farm and they'd been astonished to find he was now several inches taller than they were.

"Must be all the… umm… fertilizer on the farm," Ianto grinned.

Jack snorted.

"Yeah. Bet his grandma mistook him for a beanpole. God, I hope we're nearly done here. My feet hurt."

"Mine too. I can't believe summer's nearly over! We'll be back at school next week."

"Back to the grind of lessons and too much homework. Oh joy. Well, at least we're still in the same class. That's something to be thankful for."

"As long as we're together, we can get through anything." Ianto briefly squeezed his friend's hand. "Nothing else really matters."

"We'll always be together, Ianto, no matter what. That's a promise."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Term started, and they settled back into the now familiar routine, days and weeks blending together. The Christmas holidays came and went; the days grew gradually longer and warmer as spring arrived and the boys started to get restless again, waiting for the Year 8 play to be announced. They were thirteen now, moody teenagers, and yet to each other they were unchanged. Older yes; taller, stronger, their voices starting to change, but in everything that mattered to them, they were still just Jack and Ianto. They understood each other's moods without even needing to think about it and even now, there was no one else either one of them would rather be with. While all their friends were getting distracted by girls, they vowed to each other that no mere girl would ever come between them.

"Who needs girls anyway?" Jack grumbled to his mother.

She just laughed.

"You'll change your tune in a year or so, when some pretty girl smiles at you and the butterflies start fluttering around inside you."

"Huh. Never gonna happen."

He didn't bother telling his mother that those butterflies were already old friends; he'd felt them fluttering the first time he'd ever laid eyes on Ianto, and they'd never stopped since.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

When the boys returned to school again after Easter, they immediately made a beeline for the notice board, checking for that all-important announcement, and there it was. Year 8 would be performing a play about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Jack's eyes lingered on one particular role, that of Guinevere, imagining himself in a flowing dress and maybe a crown. Ianto instinctively knew what he was thinking.

"It's not a very big role though, it's way down the cast list."

Jack sighed.

"Yeah. Maybe we could audition as a couple of knights instead, that would be pretty cool. We can't really expect to land one of the main roles when we weren't even in the play last year. You're only as good as your last play. None of the teachers here ever saw us in Oliver Twist."

"That was a great play," Ianto said with a smile, a faraway look in his eyes as he remembered. He turned to Jack. "Auditions are after school on Friday. We should stop by the library, see if scripts are available."

"You think they might be?"

"Dunno, but it's worth a try. We should just have time before class if we hurry."

They had to walk right past the school library on their way to their homeroom, so they slipped in quickly to ask the librarian.

"Excuse me, Mrs Brooks."

"Yes, boys, what can I do for you?" Mrs Brooks looked up from repairing a book. Ianto couldn't understand why anyone would damage books; they were gateways to the world of the imagination. He and Jack had always read a lot and were well known to the librarian already.

"We were wondering if there was a script available for the Year 8 play," Ianto told her. "Auditions are Friday and we want to be prepared."

"It just so happens that there is. The scripts for the plays are always the library's responsibility, but hardly anyone ever thinks to borrow a copy for auditioning. Now let me see. Which play is it?" She reached to leaf through the contents of the box by her desk.

"King Arthur."

"Ah yes, here you are!" She pulled out two scripts and handed them to the boys. "Now, take good care of them and don't forget to return them to me if you don't get cast, they'll be needed for rehearsals."

"Brilliant! Thanks!"

"You're welcome. Good luck with the auditions," she called after them as they hurried out the door.

Out in the corridor they tucked their scripts away carefully in their bags.

"We can read through at break, then we can decide which roles we're going to audition for," said Jack. "C'mon, we'd best get to class."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

On audition day, Jack and Ianto were surprised when the teachers in charge of auditions, Mr Black and Miss Shaw, asked them both to read for the role of Arthur. One at a time, they went into a side room and read a scene with Miss Shaw reading the role of Merlin then they had to wait with the other hopefuls while the teachers made their decision.

"This is almost like a real audition," Ianto said to Jack as they waited, tense and nervous, wondering if either of them would get the role. It felt like forever, but was probably only a few minutes, before two of the other students were called back into the office. When they came out, Jack and Ianto were called in. They had to read the same scene as before, taking turns to play Arthur and Merlin. After that, there was more waiting until finally, Mr Black came out.

"Alright, we've made our decision on the main roles. Jack Harkness, you'll be playing King Arthur and we'd like Ianto Jones to play Merlin. Huw Evans, you'll be playing…"

Jack and Ianto didn't hear anything else; they were too busy congratulating each other on their good fortune.

Rehearsals started the following week and they were worked harder than ever before, but they didn't care. They were doing what they loved more than anything in the world and they put everything they had into it, impressing the teachers with their enthusiasm and dedication.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

On the night of their first performance, the hall was packed. It was so much bigger than the hall at primary school; there must have been at least five times as many people waiting to watch them. Nervous excitement bubbled inside them; they could scarcely wait to get out on stage. When they performed in plays, they felt more alive that at any other time, like they could be anyone and do anything.

The play began with Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, meeting Merlin and becoming King. As it continued, it told the story of how Arthur gathered together brave knights to defend his kingdom, and how he got the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. It was a very dramatic play even though it wasn't all that long, full of exciting moments, brave deeds and treachery. Jack loved playing the noble King Arthur and Ianto made a splendidly mysterious Merlin. For once, perhaps because everyone involved was older and had worked so hard, there were no big mistakes or disasters. The sets stayed up, no one got their costume caught on anything, nobody fell over or missed their cues and there were only a few slightly fluffed lines. Jack almost called Merlin 'Ianto' at one point, but caught himself in time, and Ianto was sure he heard Sir Lancelot call Queen Guinevere 'Grinivere', but that could have been deliberate. The girl playing her did grin a lot, after all.

After their final curtain call, the boys got Miss Shaw to photograph them backstage for their album. Their costumes were their best ever, and they were sad about having to give them back; Jack was especially reluctant to hand over his crown, but at least they would have the pictures as a permanent reminder.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Year 9 turned out to be a washout. Literally. The torrential rain throughout winter and spring left the school hall and several classrooms flooded and completely unusable. The school's headmistress made the decision to abandon any plans for end of year plays since they wouldn't have a stage to perform on, instead setting the students the task of helping to raise funds for repairs and to replace the sets and costumes that had been stored backstage. Jack and Ianto spent whatever time they could spare from their schoolwork in the carpentry workshop making key fobs and other small, useful items for sale. It was fun, they enjoyed being creative, but it wasn't what they really wanted to be doing. Still, if the school raised enough money then maybe next year they might get to be in another play.

They spent a lot of their time over the summer holidays out in Ianto's back garden, studying scripts they'd downloaded from the Internet. When their parents wondered why they weren't off out with their friends or dating girls, they just shrugged and said they didn't have time for all that. If they wanted to have a chance at their chosen career, then they needed to work at it.

They even contacted the local Amateur Dramatics Society, only to be told that they couldn't join until they were sixteen, which meant they had another year to wait. On a more positive note, at least when they returned to school they'd be in year 10 and eligible to join the school's drama club at long last. They just hoped it was worth the three-year wait.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The official school drama club turned out to be a lot like the one they'd begun with their friends when they'd first moved up to Secondary school; a group of students who met twice a week to read and act out scenes from plays. Their own club had gradually fizzled out during their second year at the school, the members finding other interests to take up their time and drifting away. Faithful Andy had been the last one to go, preferring to play football with the other boys from his class. That left Jack and Ianto on their own again, so they were glad of the chance to get involved with the official version, even though there were only five other members. If nothing else, it gave them somewhere warm to be at breaks and lunchtime during the very cold autumn, winter and spring that year. The biggest difference between their drama club and the school's version was that now they were mainly studying plays by Shakespeare. That was no bad thing though; they were only just starting to realise how much there still was to learn, and Shakespeare's English could be tricky to understand.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

At the start of the summer term, Jack was talking to Mr Atkins, who would be in joint charge of the Year 10 production of Romeo and Juliet. They'd been discussing the upcoming auditions, so Jack had taken the opportunity to say what was on his mind.

"Well, I think I'd make a good Juliet."

Mr Atkins looked startled.

"Good heavens, Jack, we can't go re-writing Shakespeare! I'll admit it's an intriguingly avant-garde idea, but it's quite impossible. Juliet is the woman and Romeo is the man; we can't simply switch the roles around, the audience would never accept it!"

"Oh, but I wasn't suggesting…"

Mr Atkins cut him off.

"Never mind, Jack, perhaps some other time it will be possible to do something a bit more adventurous, but for this year's play it's probably best if we stick with tradition. Anyway, I'm already considering Ianto for the role of Romeo. Why don't you audition for Mercutio? The character would fit your personality rather well, I think."

Jack sighed; foiled again. Would he ever get to play one of his dream roles?

"Okay, Mr Atkins, I'll do that. Thanks."

"You're welcome, Jack. It's good to see young people so determined to follow their dreams. You and Ianto are an inspiration. Oh my, there's the bell for class. You'd better hurry along. I'll see you both at the auditions," and with that he strode away.

"Well, you gave it your best shot," said Ianto, walking up to his friend.

"Wasn't good enough though, was it? There's always some reason why I can't have the role I really want. Fate is cruel."

"Yeah. You're right though, you'd have made an awesome Juliet."

"You really think so?"

"Of course! I'd never lie to you, Jack."

"I know you wouldn't. I wouldn't either; I'll always tell you the truth, I promise."

Ianto smiled at him.

"I already know that. You're my best friend, Jack. I trust you more than anyone. Always have, and always will. Now come on, if we're not careful we'll be late for class. The last thing we need is to land ourselves in detention."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The older they got, the more professional the school auditions became. Students were encouraged to audition for more than one role and got callbacks for the ones they were short-listed for. That meant the audition process this time lasted two days because there were so many people interested in taking part, and understudies needed to be cast as well as the principal players.

Both of the boys were among the dozen or so students auditioning for Romeo. As Mr Atkins suggested, Jack also tried out for Mercutio while Ianto read for Benvolio. They each got callbacks for both roles, so had to stay behind after school again the following day, where they ran into Andy who was up for the part of Tybalt.

This time, the potential Romeos had to read with each of the three possible Juliets. Jack wasn't at all surprised when Ianto was announced as Romeo, with one of the other boys as his understudy. Juliet was to be played by Emma Lewis, a girl they'd seen before but didn't really know. She seemed nice enough, though Ianto was a bit uncertain about performing the more romantic aspects of the role with her.

"Do you think I'll be expected to kiss her?" he asked Jack in a worried whisper.

"I don't know. But if you do, at least she's pretty," Jack replied, also keeping his voice to a whisper.

Ianto glanced surreptitiously at the girl in question.

"Is she? Can't say I really noticed one way or the other."

Jack shrugged diffidently.

"Well, John Hart thinks she is."

"John's taste is suspect at best, Jack. Have you seen his dog? It's a French poodle called Candy, it wears a little red bow in its… whatever that tuft on top of its head is called. John thinks it looks cute!" Ianto sounded horrified. "I really don't think I want to trust his opinion on _anything_, least of all whether or not a girl is pretty."

Struggling not to laugh at his flustered friend, Jack tried to calm Ianto down.

"Look, I'm sure you'll be fine. You don't even know yet if you'll have to kiss her at all and anyway, it's just a kiss. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

"Because I've never kissed a girl, what if I do it wrong?"

"I don't think it's possible to do it wrong."

"Have you ever kissed a girl? I mean, you've never mentioned it to me…"

"Umm, well, no. Not really."

"What d'you mean, 'not really'?"

"I kissed Becky Miller on the cheek when I was five."

"I hardly think that counts!"

"I guess you're right." Jack sighed heavily. "Maybe you'd better practice, just in case."

"What?"

Ianto's eyes widened in horror and he glanced over at Emma, who caught him looking and smiled back, blushing slightly.

"Not with her, dummy. Look, I could be a stand-in for Juliet; you know, if you wanted."

Turning back to his best friend, a relieved smile spread across Ianto's face.

"Thanks, Jack, that'd be great. You sure you wouldn't mind?" he added, a little shyly.

"'Course not! We've always helped each other rehearse; why should this be any different?"

Before Ianto could reply, they were interrupted by Mr Atkins as he called out the rest of the castings.

"Jack Harkness?"

"Yes?"

"You'll be playing Mercutio."

"Brilliant! Thanks, Mr Atkins."

"Andy Davidson?"

"Here, sir."

"I'd like you to play Tybalt."

"Cool!" Andy ambled over to Jack and Ianto. "Hey, Jack, this means I get to kill you on stage!"

"No need to sound so bloody cheerful about it, Andy," Jack laughed. "Guess that means we get to choreograph another swordfight."

"Looks that way. It'll be just like the old days, the three of us rehearsing together. Been a while since we've done that."

"It has. Best make the most of it though," Ianto added. "There's not an end of year play for Year 11 students because of exams, so this'll be our last until college."

The three friends looked at each other.

"I guess that makes sense," said Jack. "We'll probably all be too busy revising. Can't believe we only have one more year before GCSEs."

"What'll you do after?" asked Andy as the three of them left the hall and headed out to their bikes for the ride home.

"Jack and I want to do a drama course at the local college, then hopefully get into drama school." Ianto's enthusiasm was clear and Jack nodded agreement.

"It's pretty much been our dream since we were little kids. What about you?"

"I want to join the police force, so I reckon I'll try to study something like psychology. That's got to be useful for a cop, right?"

"We're probably the wrong people to ask," Ianto deadpanned. "We're already certifiable."

"True, that," Andy chuckled. "So, can we get together at the weekend to work on the swordfight?"

Jack nodded.

"I'll call you later, let you know when would be best."

"Great, see you two tomorrow."

"Yep! Bye, Andy."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Jack was staying over at Ianto's that night. They often spent the night at each other's homes and neither set of parents minded as long as they knew where their sons would be. As soon as they arrived, they headed up to Ianto's bedroom, changed out of their school uniforms, put on some music and settled down to get their homework out of the way. Ianto, always the more sensible of the two, had made the rule early on that homework should be done first so that the rest of their time was their own. Throwing themselves onto the twin beds, they set to work; they had Chemistry, History and Maths tonight. Jack groaned.

"What's up?"

"Too much homework."

"You think this is bad, just wait 'til next year."

Picking up a pillow, Jack swatted Ianto with it.

"Don't remind me."

An hour and a quarter later, Ianto closed his books. Jack hadn't quite finished his History homework.

"I'm thirsty. You want a coke?"

"God, yes, I'm parched. I should be finished with this by the time you get back."

"Great!"

Down in the kitchen, Ianto filled two tall glasses with cola and ice. He eyed the pans on the cooker and sniffed the air.

"How long until dinner?" he asked his mother.

"About an hour. I'll call you when it's ready." Ianto was gone again before she even finished speaking. Sometimes she despaired of having an actual conversation with her son. He was like a Ninja teenager; he'd pop up, say something, grab something food-related and vanish again.

Back in his room, Ianto put Jack's glass on the bedside cabinet then sat on his bed and gulped down half of his own drink.

"Thought you said you'd be finished by now."

"Almost."

Jack kept writing for a few more minutes, then sat up and closed his book.

"Done!"

"Finally!" Ianto rolled his eyes and grinned.

Jack stuck his tongue out.

"Okay, smarty-pants! Just 'cause I'm not as clever as you are! I may have to work harder than you do and it might take me a bit longer, but I get there in the end!" Snatching up his glass, he drained it in a few gulps. "Ah, I needed that!" He set the empty glass back down beside Ianto's and looked over at his friend, grinning.

Ianto smiled back at him.

"And now the rest of the evening is ours! So what d'you want to do?"

"Well…" Jack hesitated.

"What?"

"We could try the kissing."

Ianto turned a brighter shade of pink than Jack had ever seen before. He really was beautiful. Jack was sure his resident butterflies were turning somersaults.

"Okay." Ianto sounded oddly shy. "If you're sure you don't mind. Umm… d'you think we should be standing or sitting?"

"Let's try sitting first." Jack joined Ianto on his bed, sitting right next to him and taking his hand. Ever since they'd first met, they'd been used to holding hands, cuddling, kissing each other on the cheek or forehead or nose, but this was different; they'd never kissed on the mouth. Ianto looked at him, blue eyes wide and a shy smile on his lips. Jack leaned in carefully and pressed a soft kiss to that perfect little smile, eyes drifting closed, and the rest of the world seemed to fall away.

When they parted a few minutes later, they just stared dreamily at each other for a while, not saying anything. At some point, their arms had found their way around each other and somehow they'd ended up lying down, even though neither of them could remember that happening. Jack reflected dreamily that it was a good thing they hadn't been standing. He licked his lips, tasting coke and something else that could only be Ianto.

"Mmmmm. Don't know about you, but I think we're pretty good at kissing already."

"Natural talent, obviously," Ianto agreed. "I think we should keep practicing though, just to be sure," he added, pulling Jack down for another kiss.

"I can live with that."

Half an hour later, lying with their arms around each other catching their breath, they looked at each other, grinning giddily.

"How come we never did this before?" Jack asked.

"Dunno. Maybe because we're both idiots?"

"That must be it," Jack agreed, nodding. "There's just one slight problem."

Ianto looked at Jack, frowning.

"What might that be, then?"

"How the hell are you gonna be convincing kissing a girl?"

"Oh shit, I'd forgotten all about that! Just kill me now!" Ianto buried his face against Jack's shoulder, his voice muffled. Lifting his head, he added, "At least now I know why I've never really been interested in girls."

"Because you prefer guys?"

"No. Because I prefer you."

"That's good, 'cause I prefer you. I think I always have, from the first time I saw you. I got butterflies when you smiled at me, and after all these years, I still do."

Leaning over, Ianto pressed his lips to Jack's.

"I'm only ever really happy when I'm with you, you know."

"Me too. I hope we'll always be together. Remember our promise? Forever and always."

Ianto smiled.

"How could I forget? Forever and always, you and me."

Before either of them could say anything else, they heard Ianto's mam calling them that dinner would be ready in ten minutes, and they scrambled off the bed, hurrying to get themselves tidy and washed up before heading downstairs to eat, hoping no one would notice anything different about them.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Rehearsals were soon underway, both at school and at home. This would be the longest play any of the students had ever taken part in and there was much more to remember, so as the weeks passed Jack and Ianto had little time for anything other than school, homework and rehearsing. However, they still managed to find time for 'kissing practice' whenever they were alone together. The only trouble with that was the way it made it difficult to think about anything else. Ianto sometimes found himself daydreaming about Jack's lips in class, and if not for his photographic memory he might have found his grades slipping. Jack was having similar problems too, but he knew anything he missed in class, Ianto would explain to him later. For some reason, Jack found it much easier to remember things when he watched the words forming on Ianto's lips.

"D'you think we should tell our parents about us?" Ianto asked Jack idly one day, as they were lying under the big tree in Ianto's back garden rehearsing their lines.

Jack shot bolt upright.

"No way!"

Propping himself up on his elbow, Ianto looked at his boyfriend in surprise.

"O-kay. I was just askin'."

"I know. Sorry." Jack grinned sheepishly, flopping down beside Ianto again. "Guess I'm just worried about how they'd take it. They might stop us having sleepovers, or worse, say we can't see each other at all outside school."

"Is that likely? I mean, mam and tad like you." Ianto was looking worried now.

"I'm probably overreacting. I just don't want to take chances, not right now in the middle of rehearsals."

Ianto looked thoughtful.

"No, you're right, maybe we should wait a bit. Just until we're sixteen. Or until GCSEs are over."

"Or until we start college…"

That made Ianto laugh.

"How about we just play it by ear? If they don't notice, we won't say anything but if they ask, we won't lie."

"Sounds like a plan. Right, now that's sorted, let's get back to work."

They flopped back down, side by side, and picked up their scripts again.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The dress rehearsals for the play proved to be quite an adventure. The costumes were unlike anything they'd ever worn before; real costumes, mostly made by the group of students who'd volunteered to work on wardrobe for the production, with the help of the school's two needlework teachers. Jack couldn't help feeling envious of Emma, dressed in Juliet's flowing gown.

The boys' costumes were doublets and hose. The doublets had frills and lace and there were odd little feathered hats. Not quite as glamorous as Juliet's costume, but still pretty elegant to look at. Wearing them, on the other hand…

Jack shifted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong now?" Ianto giggled.

"My hose are chafing."

"I told you to wear briefs instead of boxers."

"I know, but all my briefs were in the wash. Damn it!"

"Everything alright, boys?" Mrs Marshall, the grandmotherly senior needlework teacher asked as she went around checking everyone's costumes for the first full dress rehearsal.

"Everything's fine," Jack squeaked.

"Jack's finding his hose uncomfortable," Ianto explained, getting a murderous glare from Jack in response.

Mrs Marshall studied the garment in question, to Jack's acute embarrassment.

"I see. Well, whip them off and let me have them, dear, I'll make some adjustments."

Looking like a deer in headlights, Jack stood frozen as Mrs Marshall wandered over to the next group of costumed players. Ianto grabbed him by the elbow and steered him to their curtained dressing area, helped peel the offending garment off and took it to the seamstress, who examined it and nodded.

"Ah, I can see what's causing the problem. I'll have these fixed in a jiffy."

She was as good as her word and soon Ianto was back with Jack, helping him thread his feet back into his costume.

"I'm glad I wasn't born in the 14th century. Can you imagine having to dress like this all the time? I mean I don't mind when it's just a couple of hours a day for a performance, but all day every day? It would be a nightmare." He looked at Ianto and grinned. "You look really good though. Red suits you."

Ianto's ears went red to match his costume, making Jack grin as he adjusted his hose.

"Wow, that's amazing! I don't know what Mrs Marshall did, but they feel so much better!"

"You can thank her later, right now we'd better get to rehearsal."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

After a week of dress rehearsals, any problems caused by the costumes had been ironed out. Being in costume made a huge difference, even more so than in previous plays. Somehow, speaking Shakespearean English seemed to come more naturally when they were dressed appropriately. Jack and Ianto felt almost like they were real 14th century courtiers; their costumes altered the way they moved and they stood up straight instead of automatically falling into the teenage boy's traditional slouch.

"I think you might be slightly taller than me now," Jack commented in surprise.

"Probably because of the shoes," Ianto chuckled. "First night tomorrow, I can hardly wait!

"I know! And we get to do three performances this year. Guess the school wanted to get their money's worth out of the costumes."

They headed back to their changing area, slipping out of their costumes and pulling on jeans and t-shirts.

"I'm excited, but a little sad too," Ianto confessed. "This is what we've been working towards for weeks, but in three more days it'll all be over and we don't even have a play to look forward to next year."

"That really sucks. I know it's because of our exams, and I get that they're important, but still… It's gonna be a really dull year."

"There's still drama club to look forward to until that finishes after Christmas."

"It's better than nothing, I suppose. Let's get going. Race you to the bike racks!" Jack raced off before Ianto could move.

Shaking his head, Ianto grinned. Jack always managed to cheat. Picking up his bag, he headed after his boyfriend, laughing.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

The three performances of the Year 10 play went down a storm. There were the usual minor errors and mishaps on first night, but nothing that would spoil the show for the audience. Jack and Andy's swordfight looked quite convincing, and Jack died well. In rehearsals, he'd sometimes hammed it up, making everyone laugh, but when it came down to the public performances he went down almost gracefully. Watching him brought a lump to Ianto's throat and tears to his eyes as he realised for the first time that someday, hopefully not until far into the future, he would lose the person who had come to mean more to him than anyone in the world. The thought brought added poignancy to his performance and the audience's applause at the end of the scene was deafening.

After each performance, the boys found someone to take their photograph. They wanted to remember everything about these three nights; the memories would have to sustain them throughout the next year.

It was after their final performance, when Jack and Ianto had already changed back into their own clothes and were packing up their costumes to get them cleaned, that Emma, Ianto's Juliet, approached them.

"Hi, Ianto. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure. What's up?"

Emma blushed slightly.

"Umm, I was wondering if you might like to go to a movie with me tomorrow night?"

"Oh. Look, Emma, you're a nice girl, but I can't, I'm sorry. It's just… You know Jack and I really want to make a career out of acting, but it's going to take a lot of hard work. We already don't have much free time what with all the homework we've got to do over the holidays, and we're going to be volunteering at the local community theatre all summer, working backstage. Neither of us really has any time for dating, it wouldn't be fair to you to say yes and then not have any time for you. You deserve better than that."

Emma was obviously disappointed, but she took it pretty well, considering.

"Oh. Okay. It was great working with you, Ianto. If you change your mind, I'll be around. Have a good summer."

"You too, probably see you at school next term."

"Probably." Emma hurried away and Ianto winced.

"You let her down a lot nicer than I would have," Jack commented, squeezing Ianto's hand briefly.

"Yeah, well she's nice for a girl. I didn't want to hurt her more than I had to. She worked really hard as Juliet."

"At least you only had to kiss her on the cheek in the end."

"God, yes!" It had been such a relief when he'd been instructed to just peck her on the cheek rather than going for a full-on snog. Much less embarrassing on stage.

"I guess when we're professional actors we'll have to get used to kissing girls."

"Mmm, I suppose so. Cross that bridge when we come to it though. I'll do it when I have to, but not before."

"Good plan."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

As Ianto had predicted, their summer holiday was beyond busy. They had a pile of homework to get through, which they worked at in the mornings, then after a quick lunch they caught a bus to the theatre, where they helped with scenery, ran errands, swept up and made a lot of tea and coffee. Well, Ianto made the coffee, he seemed to be the only person who could coax something drinkable from the ancient machine. In fact the quality of the coffee got significantly better after he gave it a thorough clean and persuaded everyone to chip in so he could buy some decent beans to use. Soon, Jack was as addicted to Ianto's coffee as everyone else was. He half expected the stage crew to try to keep them when the summer came to an end, just so Ianto could continue to satisfy their coffee cravings.

However, all good things have to come to an end. Almost before they knew it, the start of term was approaching. They checked that all their homework was done, endured the annual school supplies shopping trip and packed their school bags ready for the first day of their final year.

In Ianto's bedroom the night before their return to school, they lay together on Ianto's bed, arms around each other, thinking about the future.

"One more year of secondary school, then if we do well enough in our GCSEs this time next year we'll be getting ready to start college," Jack murmured.

"We'll really have to work hard this year, especially in History, English and Maths."

"Why Maths?" Jack sounded puzzled.

"Jack! Everything comes down to numbers in the end. Trust me, doing well in Maths will be important."

"I'll take your word for it. We have to get up early, we should get some sleep."

"You'd better get into your own bed then," Ianto sighed.

"I'd rather stay here with you."

"Me too, but I don't want to freak mam out if she comes barging in here first thing in the morning to make sure we're up."

"Maybe we should have spent the night at mine. At least I have a double bed."

"My house is a mile closer to school though, means we get an extra fifteen minutes in bed in the morning."

"Good point. Those extra minutes are important!" Jack reluctantly climbed off the bed, bending to kiss his boyfriend.

"Night, Ianto. Sweet dreams."

"G'night, Jack."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Their final year at secondary school proved to be every bit as hard as they were expecting, with what seemed to be twice as much homework as before. A lot of their classmates seemed determined to goof off and do as little work as possible, so Ianto and Jack spent most breaks and lunchtimes in the library, getting a head start on homework. They were glad to still have drama club meetings twice a week at lunch; that was their only respite from the daily grind of schoolwork and Jack often thought it was the only thing keeping them both sane.

Christmas came and went. Jack got a new digital camera and took photos of everyone to disguise the fact that he was mainly photographing Ianto.

Ianto got a brand new laptop, which he used for both schoolwork and fun, on those rare occasions when he had time for fun.

Almost before they knew it, they were sitting their GCSEs, which were pure torture, as exams usually are. Days of revising, quizzing each other on every subject were followed by hours of sitting in silence among dozens of other poor souls, trying to concentrate on the questions in front of them. By the time their last exam papers were gathered up they'd both decided they didn't want to take another exam for the rest of their lives.

"Ugh," Jack muttered, slumping onto the low wall outside the gym where they'd just finished their last exam. "Never again. Remind me again what earthly use Chemistry is going to be when we're actors."

"I have no clue," Ianto replied. "How'd you do?"

"Terrible. I think I've probably failed. Everything we revised went clear out of my head when I looked at the paper. I wish I had your memory."

"Wouldn't have helped you much. Four of the questions were on things we didn't even cover in class because Mr Harris said they never came up in exams."

"Oh, that's just wonderful! I've failed Chemistry because we weren't taught the right things. That's just perfect."

"Jack."

"What?"

"It's over. No more lessons, no more exams, no leftover homework, just six blissful weeks of summer ahead of us. We might actually get to do whatever we want for a while."

"Whoa! Scary! No one telling us what to do, or what time to get up in the morning…"

"Freedom from alarm clocks! Yay!" Ianto turned to Jack, wide eyed. "What the hell are we going to do with ourselves all summer?"

"Beats me. Guess we'll just have to make our own fun."

"Oh yeah? Well, I reckon we should be able to manage that, don't you?"

"Count on it. I have a few ideas. You hungry?"

Ianto nodded.

"Starving. Breakfast was like forever ago."

"I want chips."

"Chips sound good."

Picking up their bags, they left the school campus for what would probably be the last time before their graduation, heading out into the world. They were about to begin the next stage of their lives, but no matter what the future held, they both knew they'd meet it together. There was no one else they'd rather share the adventure with.

TBC in 'Part 5 - The Show Must Go On'


	5. The Show Must Go On

**Title: **The Show Must Go On – Sequel to 'The Play's The Thing'

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters:** Jack, Ianto, assorted OCs

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count:** 3337

**Summary:** Jack and Ianto are coming to the end of their two-year college drama course.

**Spoilers:** Nada.

**Warnings:** Completely AU, set in a universe where Torchwood doesn't exist.

**Written For:** My cottoncandy_bingo square Victory/Success.

**Beta:** Flying solo on this one because it's kind on the pay-off of the last four parts and I didn't want to give it away. If I've screwed anything up, please tell me and I'll fix it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.

**A/N:** This is the fifth in a series of AU stories for different prompts on my bingo card, following Jack and Ianto through their school years and beyond. There are seven in total, of wildly varying lengths.

.

**I love Janto:** Andy will always be their friend, I'm sure they still hang out together whenever possible.

Jack wasn't going to let anyone pick on them. He and Ianto can take care of themselves, but Jack will always get the first punch in.

They're learning about all aspects of the theatre, the more they learn the better.

They'd been friends so long they hadn't even realised their feelings for each other were evolving into something even stronger.

Ianto is too nice to hurt someone's feelings if he could avoid it, and he did like Emma, he just didn't fancy her.

The last year of Secondary School was all studying. Dreadfully dull. College should be better!

Thank you!

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

College, Jack and Ianto decided, beat secondary school hands down. There were still classes, and the ubiquitous homework, but they were finally where they wanted to be, taking a course in the dramatic arts.

They had other classes too, having opted to continue studying English Language and Literature, as well as History, but the drama classes were their main focus and they were loving every minute. The first year was over almost before they knew it and after a busy summer, they were back for their final year.

One of the best things about the course they were taking was that the students themselves were in charge of the play they would be performing at the end of the two-year course. It was entirely their responsibility; they would do everything from choosing the play and casting the roles, to building sets and making costumes. The teachers were mostly just there to offer advice and guidance if it was needed.

After a lot of discussion, the whole class had agreed on performing the musical 'Grease'. They were all familiar with the film version, and already knew most of the songs by heart, which gave them a head start. Working alongside a group of people their age who shared their passion for theatre was the biggest buzz the two teens had ever experienced.

"This must be how it feels to be part of a real theatre company," Jack commented to Ianto one day, as the class sat around hashing out set designs and costume ideas.

Ianto nodded.

"I can't imagine ever wanting any other career."

"Me neither."

Because of Ianto's perfect recall, he was elected head producer and no one was the least bit surprised when he chose Jack as his deputy. They went everywhere together anyway and constantly finished each other's sentences. When their classmates joked that the must be telepathically linked, Ianto rolled his eyes and Jack grinned.

"I wish! If we were, I could make use of Ianto's memory. Among other things."

Ianto blushed furiously at that and slapped Jack with the notebook he was holding.

"Behave, or I'll put you on decaf!"

The look of horror on Jack's face at that threat had the whole class in stitches. They were well aware of Jack's caffeine addiction.

It was no secret to their classmates that the two boys were a couple, though they still hadn't got around to telling their parents. There didn't seem to be any rush and anyway, they had other things to occupy their minds.

It was Jack's idea that the cast members should all be responsible for getting their own costumes. With 'Grease' being set in the Fifties, the characters' costumes didn't need to be made from scratch so it was decided that once all the roles had been cast, they'd spend a day in town, rummaging through charity shops for suitable outfits.

Ianto decided that to be fair, everyone who wanted to perform in the play should make a list of the roles they'd like to play, in order of preference, and audition in front of the whole class. Then everyone would vote for who got which role.

Jack put 'Sandy' at the top of his list, but because he was considered the class clown, everyone thought he was joking although they gave him a standing ovation for his audition.

During a break in the auditions, Ianto went over to Jack, hugging his boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, Cariad. I know how much you wanted the chance to show what you could do in the role."

"It's okay," Jack sighed. "I'm used to the disappointment by now."

"It'll happen one day. Maybe when we're famous and can produce our own plays. Or we could write one of our own, with you as the female lead."

"You think?"

"Why not? We just have to get famous first," Ianto teased with a grin.

"Oh, that's easy. We could just streak through Cardiff, then everyone would know us!"

"I said 'famous', Jack, not 'notorious'," Ianto chuckled. "Getting arrested for public nudity wouldn't improve our chances of becoming respected actors."

"Darn, you're right, as usual," Jack grinned. "Guess I'll have to think of another way for us to find fame."

"You do that. Meanwhile, we have a production to organise. We should get on with the auditions."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Everyone involved kept their own notes during the auditions then filled in the voting slips Ianto had given them. No one was allowed to vote for themselves and in the interests of fairness the votes were tallied by their supervising teacher, Mr Reed. The next morning, he posted the results on the class notice board for everyone to read.

Ianto, much to his surprise, had been the most popular choice to play Danny, getting 21 votes. Jack was to play Kenickie, having received 17 votes. One person had voted for him to play Sandy; he was pretty sure he knew who that was.

"Thanks, Ianto."

"I'm just sorry it wasn't enough. You can be my Sandy any day," Ianto told him.

Jack felt blessed to have such a supportive partner.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

With all the roles cast, the real work began.

The students on the production design side of the course got to work on detailed plans and started building the sets as soon as their designs were approved. Ianto and Jack almost wished they'd signed up for that class too; the designs looked so professional, the sets were sure to be amazing.

Meanwhile, the cast began learning their lines and rehearsals got underway.

The first Saturday after the cast list was put up, all the performers went on their planned costume-shopping trip, separating into small groups depending on their roles. Ianto and Jack soon drifted away from their group to shop on their own, as usual preferring each other's company to anyone else's.

After shopping, they all met up again at McDonalds for a burger and to show off what they'd bought. It was a successful day, but a tiring one and eventually everyone said their goodbyes, wearily heading home.

Back at Ianto's house, he and Jack shut themselves in his room and sorted through their purchases. There were a few things among them that Jack hadn't showed to their friends, but he put them on now for Ianto to see.

"You look beautiful. You really would have been great as Sandy."

Jack grinned as he twirled, making the full skirt float around him.

"I don't know why so many girls choose to wear trousers these days. Skirts are so comfortable. On hot days, I sometimes wish I could go out in one without people giving me funny looks."

"Maybe you could get yourself a kilt," Ianto suggested. "You might still get some odd looks, but not as many."

"Hmm, that's an idea. Of course, you know it's traditional not to wear anything under a kilt," he added with a wicked grin.

Ianto immediately blushed, which just made Jack grin even more.

"Umm, yeah, I knew that. I bet you'd do it too."

"Of course I would! Can't argue with tradition!"

"And yet, you argue with tradition in everything else."

"Well yeah, some traditions are dumb!"

"Like the one about only girls playing the female roles?"

"That one especially! Practically the only time guys get to play women in plays is for things like the Ugly Sisters in 'Cinderella'. How is that fair? Girls can play male roles. I mean it's not like I want to _be_ a girl, not permanently, but I could play some of those female roles as well as any girl could and no one will give me the chance to prove it. Isn't that what acting is all about? Being someone you're not and making people believe? I'm not a pirate or a king, but I've played both on stage. Why shouldn't I be able to play a woman?"

"I don't know," Ianto sighed. "I guess some people just have no imagination."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

As the opening night of the musical approached, everything was going to plan. Sets were completed and the stagehands practiced all the scene changes until everything ran like clockwork. Finishing touches were put on costumes and the wardrobe people knew which outfits belonged to which character. All the props were ready and the cast were word-perfect.

Then two days before their first performance, disaster struck; the girl playing Sandy was rushed to hospital with appendicitis. Her understudy didn't have much time to adjust to suddenly being shoved into the limelight, but she was doing her best. Ianto was just trying not to panic. Being the play's producer/director as well as the male lead was a lot easier when everything was going to plan; his nerves were starting to get somewhat frazzled. A familiar pair of hands began to massage his shoulders soothingly.

"Relax, everything's going to be fine. This is why we all have understudies after all. Jenny knows the role as well as Rosie did. No problem."

Famous last words.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Opening night arrived and everyone was backstage, the actors getting into costume and the stagehands making sure everything was ready for the first scene. There was a general aura of nervous excitement bubbling through the participants; this was it, their chance to show off what they'd learned over the last two years.

Ianto was just beginning to think that they might actually pull this off without too many problems when Diane, who was playing Rizzo, came running over from the girls' dressing room.

"We have a serious problem," she gasped breathlessly.

Rolling his eyes, Ianto swore under his breath.

"Give me strength," he muttered to Jack before turning to the bearer of bad news. "Okay, go ahead. What is it this time?"

"Jenny can't go on."

"WHAT?"

"Hey! Don't kill the messenger, it's not my fault!"

"Sorry." Ianto gritted his teeth, calmed his breathing and continued more quietly. "Why, exactly, can't Jenny go on?"

"Major asthma attack, she can't even speak, never mind sing."

"Oh God. Curtain goes up in…" he checked his watch, "forty minutes. Is there any chance she'll be recovered in time?"

"Not a hope in hell. The college nurse is with her, they're just waiting for the ambulance to get here."

"It's that bad? Will she be okay?"

"I did say 'Major asthma attack', right?" Diane asked Jack.

"You did, we're just not up on the terminology when it comes to asthma," Jack assured her.

"Oh, right. Well, anyway, she'll be off to hospital for treatment soon, which means we don't have a Sandy. What're we going to do? No one else has studied the role well enough to take over."

"That's where you're wrong," Ianto said quietly. "There's one other person who knows the role inside out."

"Rosie just had surgery, she can't take part!" Diane sounded horrified.

"I wasn't talking about Rosie."

"Then who…?"

Ianto turned to Jack.

"Change of plans, Jack. Get your understudy into costume; looks like you get to play Sandy after all!"

Jack's face lit up, but Diane looked worried.

"You've got to be kidding, Ianto!"

"Nope, I'm completely serious. Jack can do it, Di. He's been rehearsing with me at home for weeks. He knows all Sandy's scenes and songs, and he's a great singer. He'll be brilliant!"

"But he's a guy!"

"You've just never seen him in a dress." Ianto winked at her and turned to Jack. "How long will it take you to get your Sandy outfits?"

"I'll phone mom, have her bring the bags from my closet." Jack pulled out his phone and made the call as he hurried off to find his understudy. He was back a few minutes later. "Mike's getting into costume, mom and dad were just setting out but they went back and got the bags. I told mom to bring them to the stage door. They should be here in about twenty minutes."

"Right, I'll go wait for them. You get your makeup on, I'll bring your costumes as soon as they arrive."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Five minutes before curtain up, 'Sandy' made her first public appearance. The reactions of the other cast members were priceless. Ianto snapped off a few quick pictures with Jack's camera; this was a moment neither of them would ever want to forget.

"How do I look?" asked Jack, pitching his voice higher than normal.

"You," Ianto told him sincerely, "are the only girl I'll ever love. You're beautiful!"

Jack beamed at him.

"Danny, you just say the sweetest things, set my heart all a-flutter you do!"

"Oh my God, you even sound like a girl!" Mike exclaimed. "I'd fancy you myself if I didn't know you were a guy."

"Sorry, Mikey," Jack fluttered his eyelashes, "I'm already taken."

"Places, everyone," Mr Reed called out. Curtain up in two minutes."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

'Grease' was a hit, the audience loved every minute and the cast performed their socks off. For Jack, it was a dream come true and Ianto had never felt so proud of his boyfriend. He'd always believed Jack could play a female role if he only got the chance, and now his unwavering faith in his boyfriend had been amply repaid in front of a packed audience. He doubted even Jack's own parents were aware that their son was the female lead. The wigs Jack had bought online were so incredibly realistic they looked like they were his own hair; Ianto decided they'd been worth every penny he and Jack had saved to buy them.

When they took their final curtain call, Ianto stepped forward and told the audience he had an announcement to make.

"This musical almost didn't go on tonight. Our original Sandy is in hospital, recovering from having her appendix removed. Get well soon, Rosie, we miss you!" There was a round of applause and Ianto held up his hands to quiet the audience. "As if that wasn't bad enough, Rosie's understudy, Jenny Wade, was taken to hospital shortly before we came on stage tonight due to an acute asthma attack. Latest news is that she's doing fine and should be home tomorrow. However, that left us without a leading lady." He turned to Jack. "All was not lost, thanks to someone very special; my amazing boyfriend, Jack Harkness. Take a bow, Jack, you're the best 'leading lady' a guy could ask for and I am so incredibly proud of you!"

Jack pulled off his wig and bowed, and the audience went wild. Jack's parents looked for a moment like they might faint and Ianto wasn't sure if it was because their son was dressed as a woman or because he'd just called Jack his boyfriend. But then they were applauding and cheering even louder that the rest of the audience as Jack got a well-deserved standing ovation.

Backstage after the show, their parents found them as Mr Reed was congratulating them both in between taking photographs of them. Jack had put his wig back on and was hamming it up, making Ianto laugh.

"Hi, mom! Hi, dad!" Jack waved to his parents. "How did we do?"

"You were both amazing!" Jack's mom hugged him. "I can't believe it! You make such a lovely girl!"

"Still a guy though, mom, sorry. I know you always wanted a daughter, but I'm happy the way I am. It's just that girls get some of the best roles and I've always thought I could play them just as well as any girl."

"Well, you sure proved that tonight, son. That was one hell of a performance. Congratulations, you did us proud!" Jack's dad hugged him and slapped him on the back. "Now that was what I call acting. Had me completely convinced!"

Jack laughed.

"Thanks dad, mom."

"You were wonderful, both of you," Ianto's mam agreed. "There's just one thing I want to ask." She looked at Ianto. "Jack is your boyfriend?"

"Yep." Ianto put his arm around Jack, smiling.

"Since when and why didn't you tell us?"

"Uh, since we were fifteen, just before we were in 'Romeo and Juliet'. We were going to tell you, but it just never seemed to be the right time."

"That's mostly my fault," Jack admitted. "Ianto suggested we tell you way back then, but I was worried that it might change things. We'd only just realised how we felt about each other and it seemed better to wait a bit before saying anything. Then we just kept finding excuses to put it off. I guess we just didn't want to be treated differently."

"Well, that just means you're both as daft as each other," Ianto's mother chuckled. "I don't know why none of us ever guessed. The pair of you have been just about inseparable since the day you met, always happier together than apart."

"Still are," Ianto admitted, "and that's never going to change."

"We're a package deal," Jack added. "Wherever he goes, I go too. Forever and always."

Ianto smiled and kissed his boyfriend.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way."

"We should all go and celebrate your successful opening night," Ianto's tad added, smiling proudly at his two boys. Jack had become like an extra son to him and his wife over the years and he knew Jack's parents felt the same was about Ianto. "How about a late dinner? My treat."

"God, yes," Ianto replied. "I'm starving, I was too busy earlier to do more than grab an apple and a bag of crisps."

"I've been watching my girlish figure," Jack joked, making his mom laugh.

"Jack Harkness, you eat like a horse. I don't know where you put it. The last thing you need to worry about is your weight."

"Which is a good thing, because he never does," Ianto teased. "Can we go for Chinese?"

Jack nodded so hard he got his 'hair' in his eyes.

"Whatever you two want is fine with us, right Frank?" Ianto's tad asked Jack's father.

"Fine with us." Frank Harkness put his arm around his wife.

"Give us a few minutes to get changed, we won't be long," Ianto said, grabbing Jack by the hand and towing him off towards the dressing rooms.

Their parents turned to each other, laughing.

"They're never going to change, are they?" Jack's mother said with a fond smile.

"I hope not," Ianto's mother replied. "I'd like to think they'll still be the same even if they do become successful actors one day."

"They've got what it takes to succeed; talent, determination and persistence," Frank mused.

"They've proved they're not afraid of hard work either," added Ivor Jones.

The other three agreed.

"And to think it all started with a Nativity play." Carys Jones smiled.

"My son looks better in a dress than I do, I think I'm envious!" Ellen Harkness admitted.

"Oh, me too. Wasn't that dress in the first act just gorgeous?"

"Stunning!"

Just out of sight, Jack and Ianto listened to their parents talking.

"They're taking it all pretty well, I think," Jack commented.

"Way better than I expected," Ianto admitted. He took Jack's hand in his, squeezing it gently. "We really had better get changed, don't want to keep them waiting too long. Besides, I want dinner."

Jack's stomach rumbled loudly in response, making them both laugh.

"So do you, by the sound of it."

"Sorry," Jack grinned, "not very ladylike."

Ianto snorted.

"Not really, but it's very you. And I wouldn't change you for the world."

"I'm glad."

Jack leant in to kiss his boyfriend.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Believing in me. I don't think tonight would've been possible if you hadn't."

"Yes it would have, Jack. Don't sell yourself short. You were a success tonight because of talent and perseverance. You showed everyone what you can do and proved that a man can be a leading lady; that's a victory over gender stereotyping. Who knows where it could lead?"

"Today Sandy, tomorrow Evita!" Jack proclaimed dramatically.

"I bet you could do it too!" and with their arms around each other they headed off to get changed for their victory celebrations.

.

TBC in 'Part 6 - Forever And Always'


	6. Forever And Always

**Title: **Forever And Always – Sequel to 'The Show Must Go On'

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters/Pairings:** Ianto, Jack, Andy

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count:** 1707

**Summary:** Alone in his childhood bedroom, Ianto thinks back over the years he spent growing up with his best friend.

**Spoilers:** Nada.

**Warnings:** Completely AU, no Torchwood, no aliens.

**Written For:** My cottoncandy_bingo square Promise.

**Beta:** The lovely lilyrose225, who did an amazingly fast beta on this one after I spent most of the day trying to wrestle it into submission. Thanks so much! I've mucked about a lot with it since then though, so any mistakes and mangled tenses are on my own head.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.

**A/N:** This is the sixth in a series of AU stories for different prompts on my bingo card, following Jack and Ianto through their school years and beyond. There are seven in total, of wildly varying lengths.

.

**I love Janto: **Ianto was the best choice to produce the play, and who else could he choose tp be his second other than Jack?

Jack can always count on Ianto's support, no matter what, and their classmates are good people.

No imaginary characters were permanently harmed in this fic - Rosie and Jenny recovered well and got lots of cards and gifts from their friends. They were disappointed to miss being in the show, but even though she could have done it the next night, Jack was so good as Sandy that Jenny decided to let him continue in the role. The audiences loved it!

Ianto and Jack never do things the ordinary way, their parents are used to the surprises they get from their sons.

That was the end of their two year college course. They went to University after this, but I haven't written about that, I don't know what it would be like to be a student at University for three years. I only worked at one, lol!

Thank you!

.

**Dibart:** I had to make Jack's dream come true, i knew he'd be wonderful!

There's only one more part after this because each part was written for a prompt on my bingo card, but someday when I have time I might return to this 'verse and write an occasional one-shot about their lives. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Thank you!

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

Ianto sighed wistfully. Being home in Cardiff again had brought memories of his childhood flooding back. Sitting alone in his old bedroom, he thought back to his first day of school so many years ago, and that inevitably led to memories of the day he'd first met Jack, exactly twenty years ago today. Two little six-year-olds in a school Nativity play, trying their hardest to be the best little angels they could possibly be. He smiled as the memories filled his head; so much had happened since that day so long ago.

He and Jack had been best friends from the moment they'd met, inseparable; where you found one, you'd be sure to find the other. All through primary school they'd held hands everywhere, promising each other that they would be the best of friends forever and always.

When they'd moved up to secondary school, the only thing that had changed was that they'd no longer held hands; not out of choice but because the other kids had laughed at them and called them names. It had been okay though, they'd still had each other and that had been all that really mattered to either of them. They kept the promise they'd made, their friendship only growing stronger as time passed. Having someone to share everything with had made their schooldays wonderful and he felt blessed because of all the memories they'd made back then.

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Slipping his cufflinks into place, Ianto walked over to the window, looking out into the familiar back garden where he and Jack had spent so much time growing up. It was so strange being back here; everything looked smaller and the memories were everywhere. Turning back, he looked around the room.

Right there on that very bed he and Jack had shared their first kiss when they were fifteen, realising something that at some level they must have known all along: they loved each other. Friendship and love, it had turned out, made the perfect combination. If they'd been inseparable before, from that moment on nothing had been able to prise them apart. Even then they'd been planning their future together. The memory was as clear now as if it had been yesterday.

"_There's never been anyone else for me, and there never will be," Jack promised, as they lay on the lawn in Ianto's back garden on a lazy summer afternoon, holding hands._

"_We'll always be together," Ianto replied, smiling. "Forever and always, even when we're old and grey."_

"_Even when we're both wrinkled and bald," Jack agreed solemnly and then they'd both started laughing. Still, it was what they both wanted, to grow old together._

_._

OoOoOoOoO

.

Ianto shook his head and sat down to tie his shoes. They'd been so young and naïve back then, full of seemingly impossible hopes and dreams for the future. If they'd known how hard they'd have to work, would they still have been so optimistic? Probably. They'd both been incredibly stubborn and determined back then, with an unshakeable belief in each other.

Amid the drudgery and stress of GCSEs, secondary school had come to an end and after a blissful summer, they'd started college. It had proved to be something of a revelation. Their classmates had readily accepted them as a couple and they'd thrown themselves into their studies. It had been hard work, but no worse than they'd been expecting and anyway, they'd known it would be worth it if it brought them the future they dreamed of. The two years had flown past and almost before they knew it, they'd been sending in applications to every drama school they could find, as well as all the universities that ran drama programmes.

"_I don't care where we go just as long as we're together," Ianto insisted as he turned down his acceptance to a prestigious university because Jack hadn't been offered a place._

"_You're too good to me," Jack told him._

"_We promised we'd do this together and we will, Jack. Besides, I didn't want to go there anyway, it's too far from home."_

It had turned out to be worth waiting, the school they'd both eventually been accepted into had offered them everything they'd wanted, not just the performance side but scriptwriting, cinematography, producing and directing too. More than anything they'd wanted to act, but it had seemed a good idea to keep their options open and anyway, the classes had turned out to be even more interesting and informative than they'd been expecting, giving them a much wider understanding of their chosen profession.

"_Maybe someday we'll make a movie of our lives," Jack joked._

"_Stranger things have happened," Ianto agreed._

_._

OoOoOoOoO

.

Turning to pick up his jacket, Ianto's gaze fell on a photograph by his bed, a picture of himself and Jack taken at their university graduation. Picking it up, he sat on the edge of the bed, studying the two young men in the picture and chuckling. He'd felt horribly awkward in his cap and too long gown, but he remembered thinking that Jack had never looked more handsome. He let the memories wash over him again.

Graduation had been a little scary, as they'd prepared to head out into the real world. They'd known there must already be a lot of struggling actors out there, fighting over whatever roles were available. Competition was bound to be tough, especially with them both being openly gay, but becoming actors had been their dream since childhood and they weren't about to give up now.

Renting a small bed-sit in one of the less expensive residential areas of London, they'd started going to open auditions, supporting themselves as so many out-of-work actors did by working as waiters. It hadn't been easy, but just being together had given them the courage to face whatever life threw at them.

"_We'll work together someday, Ianto, but for now we both need to take whatever roles we're offered. It's the only way we're going to make a name for ourselves," Jack insisted when Ianto was considering turning down a bit part in a small play because Jack hadn't been cast. "I'll be there in the audience on opening night, that's a promise."_

"_Thank you, Cariad." Ianto leaned in, kissing his partner lovingly._

"_What for? You'd do the same for me."_

Jack was right of course. He always was. Ianto had been sitting right in the front row on the opening night of Jack's first play, just as Jack had done for him.

Ianto laughed softly as he remembered that. It had been just a few short years ago. He wondered what Jack was doing right now. Well, knowing Jack, he was probably in a mad panic over something; he never could quite manage to organise himself. Ianto chuckled at the thought. He'd never figured out how one person could be so full of self confidence and so disorganised at the same time. Touching his fingers to the picture in his hand, he smiled softly as he set it back in its place. They'd almost been late to their own graduation because Jack had managed to lose the car keys. He stood up, straightening his trousers and reaching for his suit jacket. Slipping it on, he spared a moment to check his appearance in the mirror, pleased to note that he looked immaculate. Good. He didn't want anything to spoil this day in any way. After all, it was the most important day of his life so far.

A knock came at the door.

"Ianto, aren't you ready yet? You're going to be late if you don't get a move on!"

"I'm just coming, mam. I'll be down in a minute."

"Well hurry up, your tad's already got the car running."

With one final look around the room Ianto headed out the door, closing it behind him and hurrying out to the car.

As he slipped into the front passenger seat, his tad looked over at him.

"Finally! What kept you? I always thought it was the women who had to spend forever primping. What were you doing up there?"

"Just feeling nostalgic. My old room holds a lot of memories."

"I suppose it does at that." His tad put the car in gear and pulled out of the drive. "Days like this are just made for reminiscing."

.

OoOoOoOoO

.

Ianto had never really felt nervous in front of an audience in his life, not until now. He didn't know what to do with his hands. Stupid suit trousers; they looked good, but the pockets were too small for his hands.

"You okay?" asked Andy.

"Fine. Nervous." He tried twiddling his thumbs; that helped a little.

There was a bit of a commotion a few minutes later but things calmed down again pretty quickly. At last everybody was ready.

"We're gathered here today to join these two men…"

Ianto concentrated on the words, not wanting to miss his cue. Had it really taken this long to get there in the rehearsals? Ah, finally!

"Ianto Jones, do you take Jack Harkness to be your husband?"

Turning to the wonderful man beside him, his best friend for twenty amazing years, Ianto knew that he'd never been happier.

"I do." As he took Jack's hand in his and slipped the ring on his finger, the promise they'd made each other as children came back to him again. "Forever and always."

Jack smiled back at him, squeezing his hand and sliding the matching ring onto Ianto's finger.

"Forever and always. I've loved you since the day we met and I will for the rest of our lives."

"Likewise." Ianto grinned at his husband. "Did I mention that you look amazing? Only you would wear a kilt to your wedding!"

Jack leant in close to whisper in his ear.

"And I don't have anything on underneath it either!"

Ianto groaned.

"You just had to tell me that now, didn't you?" he whispered, rolling his eyes fondly. "I might not survive the reception at this rate!"

Twenty years of friendship had led them here, and neither one of them would change a second of it. They were together and would be for the rest of their lives.

Two hearts sharing a single soul.

Forever and always.

.

TBC in 'Part 7 - Living The Dream'


	7. Living The Dream

**Title: **Living The Dream - Sequel to 'Forever And Always'

**Author:** badly-knitted

**Characters/Pairings:** Ianto, Jack, OCs

**Rating:** PG

**Word Count:** 820

**Summary:** Jack and Ianto's careers in acting are finally taking off; at last they're doing the job they've always dreamed of.

**Spoilers:** Nada.

**Warnings:** Completely AU, no Torchwood, no aliens.

**Written For:** My cottoncandy_bingo square Dream Car/House Etc. – Dream Job.

**Beta:** Un-betaed this time, due to running short of time. It's just a case of getting everything posted now!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters. Which is sad.

**A/N:** This is the seventh and final fic of my series of AU stories for different prompts on my bingo card, following Jack and Ianto through their school years and beyond. I hope everyone has enjoyed the boys' journey as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

.

**I love Janto:** Getting started in the acting business isn't easy for them, but they have each other and that makes all the difference.

They went home to get married, just as they should, surrounded by their families and friends. Andy was Ianto's best man, Jack's younger brother was his. =)

The kilt was necessary - JB looked so good in his, Jack had to do the same! Kilts, when worn the traditional way, are very convenient for the wedding night - saves a lot of time ;)

.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

.

The production assistant stopped outside a trailer and knocked briskly on the door.

"Mr Harkness, Mr Jones, you're both needed on set in ten minutes, please."

The window beside the door opened and two heads popped out.

"We'll be right there, Sally. Thank you."

"Anytime," she said with a grin and hurried away to roust the other actors for the next scene, leaving the two men to finish getting ready.

It amused the movie's production staff no end that the two big stars insisted on sharing a trailer.

"We've shared a dressing room since we were six years old," Jack Harkness had said when asked about it. "Why break the habit of a lifetime? Besides, we already share everything else. If you gave us separate trailers, we'd still both be in one or the other. I'd rather be with my husband than anywhere else."

They'd been married for five years now and their acting careers had gone from strength to strength. Their big break had come six years earlier when they'd been cast as the co-leads in a small touring musical that had become an unexpected hit. It ended up having a successful run on the West End stage. Several roles in other West End productions had consolidated their status as stars in the making and now here they were, recreating their roles in the movie version of their first hit show.

Just as when they'd been performing in the musical, Jack was in seventh heaven, playing the role of a man who disguises himself as a female cabaret singer in order to escape from his murderous ex-boyfriend. Getting a job working with a handsome young pianist, played by Ianto, 'she' falls head over heels in love with him, but he isn't interested, believing 'she' really is a woman. It was a role Jack might have been born to play; Ianto adored acting opposite him and seeing how happy his husband was, revelling in the glamorous gowns he got to wear.

Zipping up the back of the fetching blue number Jack would be wearing in the next scene, Ianto slipped into his own jacket before opening the door of their trailer and offering his arm to his husband.

"Shall we, my love?"

"Indeed we shall, darling," Jack purred in reply and they grinned goofily at each other. "Can you believe this? All those years ago, wondering if we might someday get to be in a movie together and here we are, in the starring roles no less!"

Ianto laughed.

"I know! It should seem surreal, but it just feels like the most natural thing in the world, like we're doing exactly what we were always meant to do. We're living the dream, Jack. It doesn't get any better than this."

"I know what you mean. It's been worth all the hard work and sacrifice, hasn't it, those years of waiting tables between auditions and starving in our little bed-sit?"

"Worth every second, Jack. And you know what? I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat."

"Me too. I love you, you know. Always have and always will."

"Love you too, and you look bloody gorgeous in this dress. D'you think they'd let us keep it after the movie?"

"We can ask. If they won't give it to us, maybe we can buy it. We're earning enough!"

"Still can't get my head around what we're getting paid for this movie," Ianto agreed, shaking his head in bemusement. "That's the one thing that really is surreal. I never dreamed we'd be earning so much. It was always just about acting. When we were kids, I don't remember ever really giving much thought to the idea of getting paid to be in plays."

"I know what you mean," Jack replied as his husband opened the door to the soundstage. "Back then, earning money was a nice thought, but there were more important things to consider than money."

"Like getting your dream role?"

"Among other things. I don't want us to stop doing plays just because we're movie stars now though."

"Me neither. I think the stage will always be my first love, career-wise." He looked out across the set at the camera crew and sound people bustling around, the other actors getting into position, the director giving final instructions. "But I have to admit this is bloody awesome!"

Jack threw back his head and laughed.

"Oh yeah! C'mon, better get into position. Is my wig straight?"

"Perfect; you look stunning, as always."

Hand in hand, they moved to their marks for the start of the scene.

They'd grown up dreaming of becoming famous actors and here they were, working at their dream job and having the time of their lives. Jack smiled to himself, thinking back over the years and couldn't help wondering what all their schoolteachers would think if they could see them now. He had a feeling they'd be proud.

.

The End


End file.
